Pupils blend music, art into special school show
Choir members learn sign language for annual performance
BY AMY ROSEN Staff Writer

MANALAPAN - The members of the Wemrock Brook School choir and art enrichment programs recently celebrated the culmination of their hard work during the 2007-08 school year with four performances for fellow students, teachers, friends and family members.

The annual event features the Wemrock Brook Singers, under the direction of music teacher Laurie Bischof, performing on a stage enhanced by set designs created by the art enrichment students of BarbaraWeiss, the school's art instructor.

Bischof and Weiss have been collaborating on this project for the past seven years.

"The annual Wemrock Brook Performing Arts Show is the joint effort of the music and art programs and showcases the students in an exciting crosscurriculum performance," said Weiss. "It is a great way to combine music, art, theater and dance to effectively cover the national and New Jersey standards for the arts curriculum. Each year Mrs. Bischof and myself choose a subject that we feel will be both educational and entertaining. This year's performance was 'Kids Who Care' and it focused on character development and self-esteem."

According to Principal Jacqui Martin, the character education in school is based on a theme of the month. May's theme is perseverance, June's theme is self-control and April's theme was trustworthiness and honesty. Wemrock Brook houses pupils in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades.

Martin explained, "There are lessons developed for each of the grade levels based on the trait of the month.At the end of the month the students in each class vote for one classmate who best represents this trait. These students are then celebrated at a pizza party with our assistant principal Mrs. Orlando, school counselor Mrs. Baglieri and me. They receive a certificate and a coupon for a free snack in our lunchroom (thanks to the Wemrock Brook PTA). They have an individual picture taken, which we post monthly on the bulletin board highlighting these students. We also take a group picture of all students recognized for the month, which we post on the school district's Internet Web site."

Bischof added, "Character education is taught through our counseling program and reinforced in every classroom atWemrock Brook. The focus of the songs includes themes like respect, honesty, responsibility, courage, determination and friendship."

Wemrock Brook school counselor Christen Baglieri said, "The Wemrock Brook choir and art enrichment performance is so wonderful because it reinforces many of the values that our character education program teaches, including diversity, tolerance, respect and cooperation. The students take pride in their hard work, and because of that the performance is such a special learning experience for them."

Bischof chose the songs and most lyrics were rewritten to fit the theme. The following songs were included in the show: "The Star-Spangled Banner," which always opens the show; "Yakety Yak" focuses on respect toward other people including parents, teachers and self; "Friendship" teaches that one must be a good friend to get a good friend; "Responsibility" was sung to the tune of the song "Personality" and focuses on the theme of responsibility; "Pick Yourself Up" encourages perseverance; "Broken Road" highlights courage and preparing the way to adulthood; "Little Man on Your Shoulder" spreads the word about being honest and having a conscience; and "Be the Kind of Person" is about being the best you can be.

"We were lucky to haveMrs. (Kim)Weinstock, a teacher of the hearing impaired [in the district], teach the choir students sign language to one of our songs, 'Broken Road,' " Bischof said. "The sign language added such a beautiful touch to the music and another way of communicating the idea of the song."

Bischof rewrote the lyrics of "Broken Road" to fit a theme about how making mistakes and solving them independently is a necessary process of growing up into adulthood. The song was dedicated from the students to their parents.

Bischof commented after the performance, "The sign language song was excellent. It was the song I think that touched everyone. The sign language was an even nicer touch to an already emotional song. I was so proud of the kids."

"I was thrilled to teach the choir sign language for their song and they really did a great job," Weinstock said. "The kids love learning a new language and they pick up sign language quickly since they are eager to learn. I know the kids learned that there is more than one way to communicate and that no one is perfect and that's what makes our world go round."

Weinstock, who is deaf, became fluent in sign language years ago when she joined the National Theatre of the Deaf for summer training. She works with deaf and hearing impaired children as well as those youngsters with special needs.

"I have been teaching sign language to our special needs kids and they now know there is more than one way to communicate," she added. "It is amazing to see them learn and use the signs they have learned in their academic setting."

The Wemrock Brook Singers consist of about 140 students from grades four, five and six. The afterschool volunteer program requires that the students attend weekly rehearsals throughout the year, during which they work on vocal techniques, instrumentation and note reading.

"It's a lot of hard work and dedication and the final concert is worth it," said Bischof. "I'm very proud of my kids. I'm also extremely grateful to the parents who support our music and art program."

Sixth-grader Kate McKinstrie received her three-year pin at the show for her commitment and dedication to the choir program for three consecutive years. When asked what she thought about the show, she replied, "It was fun and full of energy." As for learning sign language, Kate said, "It puts you in someone else's shoes."

According to Weiss, the art enrichment program is unique to Wemrock Brook. The program is offered to all sixth grade students. There are no tryouts; all who sign up will have a group. This year there are more than 100 students involved.

"My goal is to give every student an opportunity to work in small groups and participate in various projects around the school," Weiss explained. "Projects may include creating scenery or signs for school functions, community service projects, school beautification, decorations for the sixth grade dance, or participating in the annual performing arts show. This is a voluntary program. Students with an interest and love of art are encouraged to participate."

"The choir and the art enrichment show helps to teach the kids how to work together and that anything can happen if you work hard for it," said Amanda Scarpa, who is also in the art enrichment program. "The show helps kids to learn how to act and behave correctly. The songs teach the students at Wemrock Brook how to respect and act toward other students."

Mary Grace Monahan, a sixthgrader in the art enrichment program, said, "The students of the art enrichment program work cooperatively with one another. They worked together to make up the dances and costumes. By hearing the songs and watching the choreography, the choir and art enrichment program helps all students to learn how you should act in life."

Sixth-grader Brenda Gifol, who has been in the choir show for the three years she has been a student at Wemrock Brook, said, "This was the best year ever of the choir show. I liked the songs, especially 'Broken Road,' because they played with our emotions. The lesson I learned from the show is if you treat someone the way you want to be treated you will get the same respect back."

Jennifer Zerilli, a sixth grade pupil who has also been in the choir show for the past three years, summed it all up.

"It was a magical experience," Jennifer said. "Both the choir students and the art enrichment students were focused and worked very hard. They all did a great job."